Sri Lanka bans face coverings in public

Following the series of suicide attacks on Easter Sunday that killed at least 250 people and injured hundreds, Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena is using an emergency law to impose a ban on face coverings in public.

Under the restrictions, any face garment which ‘hinders identification’ will be banned to ensure national security, with the move widely reported to be specifically targeting the niqab and burka, although Sirisena’s office did not specifically name the garments.

Sri Lanka remains on high alert eight days after Islamist attacks that hit churches and hotels.

Read more about the Sri Lanka terrorist attacks here.